Dear Friends,
Here is a detailed explanation to this question-
tarek99 wrote:
Even though it was not illegal for the bank to share its customers' personal and financial information with an outside marketing company in return for a commission on sales, the state's attorney general accused the bank of engaging in deceptive business practices by failing to honor its promise to its customers to keep records private.
(A) by failing to honor its promise to its customers to keep
(B) by its failure of honoring its promise to its customers to keep
(C) in its failing to honor its promise to its customers of keeping
(D) because of its failure in honoring its promise to its customers in keeping
(E) because of its failure to honor its promise to its customers of keeping
Meaning is crucial to solving this problem:Understanding the intended meaning is key to solving this question; the intended meaning of the crucial part of this sentence is that the bank engaged in deceptive business practices through the act of failing to honor its promise to its customers to keep records private.
Concepts tested here: Meaning + Idioms + Redundancy/Awkwardness• “promise +infinitive verb form (“to + base form of verb” – “to + keep” in this sentence)” is the correct, idiomatic usage.
• “failure + to” and “failure + at” are the correct, idiomatic usage.
A: Correct. This answer choice uses the phrase “by its failing”; the construction of this phrase conveys the intended meaning – that the bank engaged in deceptive business practices
through the act of failing to honor its promise to its customers to keep records private. Further, Option A correctly uses the idiomatic construction “promise +infinitive verb form (“to + base form of verb” – “to + keep” in this sentence)”. Moreover, Option A avoids the idiomatic error related to the use of “failure”, seen in Option D, as it does not use the noun “failure”. Additionally, Option A is free of any awkwardness or redundancy.
B: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase “by its failure of honoring”; the construction of this phrase leads to an incoherent meaning; the intended meaning is that the bank engaged in deceptive business practices through the act of failing to honor its promise to its customers to keep records private.
C: This answer choice uses the unidiomatic construction “promise + present participle (“verb + ing” – “keeping” in this sentence)”; please remember, “promise +infinitive verb form (“to + base form of verb”) is the correct, idiomatic usage. Further, Option C uses the needlessly wordy phrase “in its failing”, leading to awkwardness and redundancy.
D: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase “because of its failure”; the use of “because” incorrectly implies that the bank engaged in deceptive business practices,
due to its failure to honor its promise to its customers to keep records private; the intended meaning is that the bank engaged in deceptive business practices
through the act of failing to honor its promise to its customers to keep records private. Further, Option D incorrectly uses the unidiomatic construction “failure + in” rather than one of the idiomatic constructions “failure + to” or “failure + at”; please remember, “failure + to” and “failure + at” are the correct, idiomatic usage. “Moreover, Option D incorrectly uses the unidiomatic construction “promise + present participle (“verb + ing” – “keeping” in this sentence)”; please remember, “promise +infinitive verb form (“to + base form of verb”) is the correct, idiomatic usage.
E: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase “because of its failure”; the use of “because” incorrectly implies that the bank engaged in deceptive business practices,
due to its failure to honor its promise to its customers to keep records private; the intended meaning is that the bank engaged in deceptive business practices
through the act of failing to honor its promise to its customers t keep records private. Further, Option E incorrectly uses the unidiomatic construction “failure + in” rather than one of the idiomatic constructions “failure + to” or “failure + at”; please remember, “failure + to” and “failure + at” are the correct, idiomatic usage. “Moreover, Option D incorrectly uses the unidiomatic construction “promise + present participle (“verb + ing” – “keeping” in this sentence)”; please remember, “promise +infinitive verb form (“to + base form of verb”) is the correct, idiomatic usage.
Hence, A is the best answer choice.All the best!
Experts' Global Team
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